Storage cabinets have been made for years of sheet metal components including backs, sides, tops, bottoms, doors, kick plates and shelves. These cabinets are frequently shipped in collapsed or unassembled condition, and later erected by the buyer. Assembly of these components has typically been facilitated through the use of fasteners such as bolts, screws, rivets and clips, to name a few, packaged with the cabinets. And while such cabinets are desirably light in weight for shipping, transport and assembly considerations, it is also desirable that in erected form, they provide a substantial, tight, strong and rigid appearance and feel. While newly erected cabinets may be sturdy, over time and through use or stress, they are subject to loosening of fasteners. When that happens, the cabinets may feel flimsy when used or opened.
Moreover, when unassembled cabinets are erected through the use of fasteners, the correct fasteners in size and count must be provided along with the cabinet components. This need is accompanied by supply, inventory, packing and package quality control issues as will be appreciated in the industry. Moreover, tools are typically required to install to manipulate or to operate the fasteners
As a result, the industry has recently witnessed a reduction in the design number of fasteners necessary to erect a cabinet, but even smaller numbers of required fasteners have the foregoing inherent disadvantages.
Accordingly, it has been one objective of this invention to provide a storage cabinet which can be erected and used without the use or application of separate fasteners.
Another objective of the invention has been to provide an improved storage cabinet.
Another objective has been to provide improved methods for erecting a cabinet without the use of separate fasteners.